Chapter 759: Finally Able to Sleep

Yutai County was also within Shandong territory, but it bordered Xuzhou, so the people there naturally knew how formidable the Zhao Character Battalion was. After the Zhao Character Battalion crossed the border several times to seize and kill people, everyone in Yutai County, from top to bottom, would rather ignore the orders of the Incense-Smelling Sect than fail to treat the Zhao Character Battalion with the utmost deference. Who was distant and who was close, and the disparity in strength, were all laid out plain as day — even a fool would know what to do.

When Zhao Jin traveled north and south, the horses he brought with him alone numbered over a thousand. Adding in the spoils seized after each victory, the number of horses had not decreased but instead increased by several hundred. This contingent of the Zhao Character Battalion numbered several hundred men with nearly two thousand horses. Together with the various forces that came to receive them, there were over two thousand men and more than three thousand horses. Such a massive number was something the whole of Yutai County might not even be able to support. When the large force from Xuzhou entered the county and chose that estate to encamp, the entire estate felt as if the sky were falling. This was sheer calamity out of nowhere. They had escaped the Liao Impost, but they could not escape this. Their winter grain stores were likely about to be swept clean. After hosting this group, the entire estate, from top to bottom, would probably all have to flee famine and beg for food.

At that time, everywhere in Yutai County was jittery and on edge. People were even privately discussing forming alliances between estates for self-defense, preferring to fight it out with this Zhao Character Battalion crew rather than be eaten and drunk dry by them and left to starve to death that winter. Bordering Xuzhou, the local temperament had never been weak.

But this estate soon breathed a sigh of relief. The large receiving force from Xuzhou, aside from encamping outside the estate, did not consume any of the estate's stores. Cart after cart brought fodder and provisions over from Xuzhou to supply these men and horses. By this season, the ground was already beginning to freeze hard, just right for cart travel. What left everyone in Yutai County utterly dumbfounded was that the Zhao Character Battalion had even set up a warehouse in Yutai County to store the grain and fodder transported from Xuzhou.

Wasn't the harvest supposed to be bad this year? Yutai County and Xuzhou were right next to each other — if things were bad on this side, how much better could the other side be? This side had been bled white by the Liao Impost and had only just barely caught its breath this year. Even if Xuzhou didn't have to pay the Liao Impost, it still shouldn't have been able to produce so much grain and fodder. Their reserves were simply far too substantial.

Precisely because this troop encampment had not ruined the estate, and instead, because hiring people for labor and using well water were all paid at fair prices, the estate had actually earned a decent amount of extra income for the New Year season, reaping considerable benefit. So when Zhao Jin and the others arrived, the entire estate was warm, deferential, and exceedingly courteous.

Here, they could be considered truly safe. Even the horses had dedicated handlers. Many of the Zhao Character Battalion's household troops dismounted and went straight to sleep. Some remembered to grab a felt blanket; others simply collapsed to the ground without a care. The weather was freezing. Cheng Daqi and Jiang Mutou busily arranged for men to help them into tents, then set people to sorting and tending the horses. The estate also sent people according to protocol to help with cooking and tidying up. The whole camp bustled with activity.

"Before nightfall, all parties will have seized horses. Adding those brought back by our main unit, we'll have nearly a thousand. But these government troops and mounted brigands really didn't cherish their mounts — there are good and bad mixed together. Pick through them carefully, use the good ones to replenish our losses, then set aside one hundred fifty as rewards for the receiving forces. The rest can be sent to the various estates to serve as draft animals for plowing and pulling carts." While everyone else slept, Zhao Jin could not. He sat there, arranging affairs.

Chen Sheng, Ji Xiang, and Liu Yong also did not sleep. They were all patrolling among the troops. As commanding officers, they had to be the last to rest at times like this — a rule Zhao Jin had set by personal example.

Sitting out in the open, Zhao Jin did have some privileges. The estate people had specially lit a bonfire beside him, warming the surrounding area nicely. Mu Shulan, wearing a hood and wrapped in a blanket, sat quietly and obediently behind Zhao Jin. The girl wanted to listen carefully to Zhao Jin's instructions, but the heat made her keep dozing off. Her gaze toward Zhao Jin now grew increasingly puzzled. This young man before her did not seem much different from that steady youth of a few years ago, yet somehow, Mu Shulan also felt the difference was enormous.

"These women were all abducted by the mounted brigands. Send them back to their original families," Zhao Jin said to the estate head and prominent household of the estate.

Once everything here was arranged, Zhao Jin had someone summon the estate head. They had rescued a dozen or so women from the government troops, and it was just right to have their fellow locals escort them back. The prominent household head kowtowed in thanks repeatedly. Yutai County was a small county, and the news of prominent households' womenfolk being abducted had long since spread. He naturally knew where to send them.

When the prominent household head rose and prepared to take the women away, Mu Shulan suddenly spoke up: "Remember to tell those women's families that after this incident, we can consider ourselves acquainted. This year, next year, and the year after, the women of the inner quarters should visit and keep in regular contact. Make sure you deliver that message."

The estate head and prominent householder visibly paused for a moment, but he reacted quickly and promptly agreed with deference. A young woman who could be this close to Zhao Jin was certainly someone he could not afford to offend. Even without knowing her identity, the fact that she could sit so near and interject so freely — everyone could naturally judge her status and position.

As soon as the man left, Mu Shulan turned her head and explained: "Brother Jin, if these women were from poor families, it would be one thing — humble households don't care so much. But they happen to be from prominent families. After being abducted, going back may not end well for them. Nine times out of ten, their families will force them to commit suicide to preserve their chastity. If that happens, we'd have saved them for nothing."

Hearing Mu Shulan's words, Zhao Jin was momentarily speechless. In the end, he only said, "You're the more thoughtful one."

The sun sank in the west, and the sky gradually darkened. The various Xuzhou forces that had been sent out to pursue and kill the fleeing soldiers began to return. Some were elated, human heads dangling from their saddles and extra horses trailing behind their mounts. Yet others were dejected and empty-handed. Those with heads and spoils naturally came before Zhao Jin to boast and seek rewards, while those who came back empty-handed had to go over and offer a few words of explanation.

"The time limit Master Jin set was too tight. Once it got dark, even those we were about to catch couldn't be caught anymore." Nearly everyone said something along these lines.

To such grumbles, Zhao Jin responded with a smile and reassurance: "The fact that you all came is already a mark of our bond. Why fuss over such a small matter? Our days together stretch long ahead."

With so many people gathered, there was no way to be vague about things. Fortunately, the prominent households of Yutai County had a tradition of raising sheep. Zhao Jin provided the silver, and fat sheep were procured and slaughtered on the spot, either roasted or stewed. The only regret was the lack of much good wine; they had to make do with some crude local liquor. Even so, the scene was boisterous and lively, and as it went on, the gentry and local strongmen of Yutai County also hurried over one after another.

The leading and influential figures of Yutai County had not come earlier — not because they wanted to stand by and do nothing, but because they dared not and had no reason to come. To them, Zhao Jin was a man from the heavens above; casually trying to build connections would be far too presumptuous. But now that Zhao Jin had rescued over a dozen women, they had a reason to express their gratitude. From top to bottom, everyone used the Zhao Character Battalion's righteous and gallant deed as their pretext, preparing wine and meat and coming to give thanks.

Although they regarded Zhao Jin as lofty and far above them, Zhao Jin was very amiable toward them. This attitude considerably bolstered the courage of Yutai County's gentry and local strongmen. The lead representative, Scholar Zheng, spoke up: "Yutai County has suffered many calamities, with bandits running rampant. With Master Jin's arrival, it is truly like parting the clouds and seeing the blue sky. The gentry and commoners of this county all long for Master Jin's protection, and we beseech Master Jin to take pity on us."

"Someone will discuss these matters with you. Before the second month of next year, first purge the county of those who burn incense and follow that sect. When I come again, anyone still entangled with incense-burning sect followers will be guilty of a capital crime warranting execution and the extermination of their household." Zhao Jin's reply was very crisp, with no evasion whatsoever. The situation had developed to this point — Yutai County, right next to Xuzhou, ought to be under their control. There was no need for politeness anymore.

The Zhao Character Battalion knew the Shandong regions near Xuzhou best, and they also knew that these areas had deep ties to the Incense-Smelling Sect. If the Zhao Character Battalion truly came in and acted according to their usual rules, they would certainly slaughter until the corpses piled like mountains and the blood flowed like rivers. It was better to let them clean house themselves first and save trouble later. The Incense-Smelling Sect claimed to preach among the poor and suffering common folk, but to gain a foothold and establish itself in a place, it still needed the tacit approval and support of the gentry and local strongmen. Take Xuzhou, for example — those powerful families harboring disloyal ambitions had several times allowed the Incense-Smelling Sect to preach on their territory in order to oppose the Zhao Character Battalion.

Zhao Jin's words were simple, direct, and seething with murderous intent. Yet everyone in Yutai County, even those few who held official examination degrees, were endlessly grateful and agreed wholeheartedly. Some of the more impatient and rough-mannered men even thumped their chests and shouted, "Master Jin, rest assured, I'll go back and deal with those incense-burners right away."

But Zhao Jin also found it strange. Yutai County was so close to Xuzhou — they should know how things were done in Xuzhou. Once the Zhao Character Battalion moved in, with local militia stationed and a Cloud Mountain Branch established, it wasn't just the officials who would suffer; even the interests of the gentry and local strongmen would be damaged. They would no longer be able to skim off the top of tax collection, nor treat their tenants and commoners as private property — all of that would belong to the Zhao Character Battalion. If things developed this way, and if their families had no sons or younger members working in the Zhao Character Battalion or Cloud Mountain Trading, at best they would remain wealthy households. They wouldn't lack for money or goods, but all their power, prestige, and influence would vanish, and their income would decrease. When the Zhao Character Battalion implemented this in Xuzhou, Pizhou, and other places, aside from the desolate Grass Flats where it was easiest, everywhere else had involved repeated back-and-forth struggles, with blood flowing across the ground, and had only now stabilized. Since these people in Yutai County knew what the outcome would be, why were they still so eager?

Finding this odd, Liu Yong sent men to inquire. The Internal Guard Unit was most adept at such tasks, and Ma Chonghao was especially skilled at striking up conversations and ferreting out information. The atmosphere at the gathering was relaxed and lively, and it wasn't long before the news was brought back.

By this time, Mu Shulan was already asleep. Once her outward pretense was stripped away, the girl actually had a very independent nature. She had her own judgment and opinions on everything and was extremely guarded. But at this moment, she was unwilling to leave Zhao Jin's side. Whether asleep or awake, she needed to be able to see Zhao Jin. However, after they had encamped in Yutai County, Mu Shulan also realized they were completely safe and there was no need to be so tense. Under the warmth of the bonfire, she had fallen into a deep sleep. Zhao Jin and his companions had finished patrolling the camp and roughly set the arrangements before returning here, discussing matters in lowered voices.

Thanks to old friends "Yuan Heng Li Zhen, Gu Wuzhao, zf669" for their tips, and thanks to everyone for your subscriptions and monthly tickets.